Advice To Mitt Romney

Learn the names of the people you are meeting.

Advice To David Gauke

A politician lecturing us on morality is as natural as a cat trying to walk on its hind legs.

Cameron's 2020 Vision

Has no one told Cameron that, whilst honesty is a good thing, there also needs to be some vision of a better future and coherent plan of how to get there in order to ensure people stay the course?

This will end in tears!

Cabbies Blockade Parliament

As our "respected" elected representatives prepare to head off for their 47 day summer holiday, London cabbies have given them a taste of what the rest of London will have to endure for the next seven weeks (courtesy of the Olympics) by blockading Parliament.

Well done the cabbies!

Photo by Paul Waugh.

Through The Looking Glass With Jeremy Hunt

In Jeremy Hunt's world, failure is the norm:

"I don't think this is a moment for getting into the blame game. G4S have been quite honourable. It is completely normal that you are going to find some contractors on a project of this size who are not going to be able to deliver."

We're All Going On A Summer Holiday

My best wishes to our "esteemed" and "respected" elected representatives who, despite exhorting the rest of us to work hard, have awarded themselves a 47 day summer holiday starting next Tuesday.

Bon voyage, and for the sake of the country don't hurry back!

Is Cameron Really a Tory?

Norman Tebbit, in his blog for the Telegraph, has hit the nail squarely on the head wrt David Cameron's defeat over Lords reform last night and the ongoing policy shambles of the coalition government.

Mr Tebbit writes:

"He might have done better to reflect on why he is committed to give priority to a measure which is not only simply irrelevant to the problems facing the country, but is ill-conceived and dangerously destabilising to the constitution.

He is the victim, not of a Tory rebellion but of his own errors."

In short, does Cameron actually like being in the Tory party?

Rename Bank Holidays - #bankersarentus

I am pleased to see that not all those inhabiting the PalArse have their heads up their bottoms.

My compliments to Lord McColl of Dulwich who has come up with a most excellent suggestion, that shows that he (a Peer no less) has his finger on the pulse of public opinion (more than those do in the lower house).

His suggestion?

To rename bank holidays.

For why?

"In view of the poor behaviour of the banks, could we consider changing the name bank holiday back to its original name - Lubbock days?" 

I for one would give him my vote, if it weren't for the fact he is in the House of Lords!

So let's turn this suggestion into reality, please retweet this using hashtag #bankersarentus

Cameron Loses It

What on earth is he going on about?

"David Cameron has defended plans to close Britain’s borders to Greeks fleeing their country’s economic problems, saying he would do anything necessary to protect the United Kingdom."

The only Greeks who are coming here in large numbers are the very wealthy ones looking to buy property in London.

Bob Diamond Invited To Barbecue

I see that the Treasury have invited Bob Diamond to a barbecue that they are holding this afternoon:

"Bob Diamond is due to be grilled by MPs a day after resigning as Barclays chief executive in the wake of the inter-bank interest rate-fixing scandal."

Sounds like fun!

How To Avoid Tax - Courtesy of The Conservative Foundation

The other week David Cameron proclaimed to the world that Jimmy Carr's tax arrangement "isn't morally right".

Cue the Conservative Foundation, with their advice on how to reduce inheritance tax.

Here's what I said about this the other week on my HMRC site:

"Cameron has got himself well and truly stuck on top of the Savage Mountain (aka K2), not only will his "promises" to deal with these schemes come to nowt, but he has effectively declared open season on every Tory MP, every Tory candidate and every Tory donor. The media and other interested parties will pore over their finances with a fine tooth-comb, and one by one every single tax avoidance scheme (that the PM finds "immoral") will be made public (I guarantee there are hundreds of Tory MPs and Tory donors etc using these such schemes).

Cameron has lost touch with reality, in a desperate attempt to grab a soundbite and pander to the anti avoidance lobby."

Avoidance is a perfectly normal human thing to try to do, the politicians are not in a position to lecture the rest of us on morality.

A politician lecturing us on morality is as natural as a cat walking on its hind legs. 

Four Day Week For MPs

I see that our "respected" elected representatives want a four day week.

Oh yes, I can see that going down very well with the voters!